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Another tech phenomena that reached a $3 billion valuation before most of us had a chance to know what it does… Yes it’s Snapchat and for some it still carries an air of mystery but for most young people it’s become an essential social tool.
‘Snapchatting’ has become second nature to the majority of young people as they nonchalantly snap ‘Selfies’ on public transport and pretty much any other public or private place that they sense an opportunity. For many, it has already become an alternative to sending a text. Other generations seem to struggle, however, as I discovered when I received a Snapchat from my dad whose confused face seemed to suggest that he had absolutely no idea how this strange app works.
So first of all, what actually is Snapchat?
Simply put, it is an app that allows you to take a picture and privately send it to a selected audience of your choosing. The picture is only available to the receiver for a maximum of 10 seconds as it disappears forever after that, unless the receiver manages to take a screenshot of the picture in that time. Captions can be written over the pictures, making it a great way for people to keep up to date with each other’s lives. Snapchat is continuously adding features such as black and white writing, the temperature and even a range of filters.
Contrary to popular belief, sending half naked selfies is actually NOT the purpose of Snapchat? So how can we use Snapchat to benefit us in the marketing world? Most companies have not yet dared to venture into the phenomenon of Snapchat but we’ve compiled a few ways and examples of how to use Snapchat as an effective marketing tool, because we’re good to you like that!
- The arrival of the brand to Snapchat can be announced on a social media platform, which already has a significant following such as Twitter. This is a good way to ensure traction and it builds up excitement if done effectively such as the Company GrubHub. They announced on Twitter that anyone following their Snapchat would soon receive a surprise.
- A common trend among brands using Snapchat is to promise deals or surprises. The app allows you to offer exclusive promotions or coupons to followers.
- A few fashion brands have set the trend of releasing behind the scenes footage or sneak peeks at new collections thereby rewarding followers with information that they could not get any other way.
- The introduction of the Snapchat story feature may also be useful to brands. It allows photos to be put together in a linear order forming a story that is visible to all followers for 24 hours.
- Snapchat story was used as a tool by the NBA. They formed a story of Kevin Durant accepting his ‘Most Valuable Player’ Award, resulting in more people tuning in to watch it actually happening.
Only time will tell whether Snapchat will become a widely used marketing tool or whether brands will fail to make the most of its potential. Either way it is safe to say that with a little creativity and initiative the app holds lots of exciting possibilities for all age groups and marketers!